steering wheel adjustment BMW 323i 1998 E36 Workshop Manual

Tires,
checking
inflation
pressure



Brake
pad/rotor
wear,
checking

Correct
tire
pressuresare
important
to
handling
and
stability,



Al¡
E36
cars
are
fitted
withdisc
brakes
at
al¡
four
wheels
.
See
fuel
economy,
and
tire
wear
.
Tire
pressures
change
with
temper-



Fig
.
24
.
Although
thebrakesare
equipped
with
a
brake
pad
ature
.
Pressures
should
be
checked
often
during
seasonal
tem-



warning
system,
the
system
only
monitors
one
wheel
per
axle
.
perature
changes
.
Correct
inflation
pressures
canbe
found
on



It
is
recommended
that
pad
thickness
should
be
checked
the
driver's
door
pillar
and
in
the
owner's
manual
.
Note
that
tire



whenever
the
wheels
are
off
or
brakework
is
beggg
done
.
pressuresshould
be
higher
when
thecar
is
more
heavily
loaded
.

WARNING
-

Do
not
inflate
any
tire
to
a
higher
pressure
than
the
tiress
maximum
ínflation
pressure
listed
on
the
side-
wall
.
Use
cara
when
addlng
air
to
warm
tires
.
Warm
tire
pressures
can
increase
as
much
as4
psi
(0.3
bar)
over
their
cold
pressures
.

Tires,
rotating

BMW
does
not
recommend
tire
rotation
.
Due
to
the
cars
sus-
pension
design,
the
fronttires
begin
to
wear
first
at
the
outer

shoulder
and
the
rear
tires
begin
to
wear
first
at
themiddle
of

the
tread
or
inner
shoulder
.
Rotating
the
tires
may
adversely
af-

fect
roadhandling
and
tire
grip
.

NOTE-

The
main
purpose
of
tire
rotation
isto
promote
even
wear
and
maximum
tire
life
.
Tire
life
may
be
decreased
slightly
if
the
tires
are
not
rotated
.

Wheels,
aligning

Routine
maintenance
of
the
brake
system
includes
maintain-

ing
the
brake
fluid
in
the
reservoir,
checking
brakepads
for

wear,
checking
hand
brake
functíon,
and
inspecting
the
system

for
fluid
leaks
or
other
damage
.

Check
that
brake
hoses
are
correctly
routed
to
avoidchafing

or
kinkíng
.
Inspect
unions
and
brake
calipers
for
signs
of
fluid

leaks
.
Inspect
rigid
fines
for
corrosion,
dents,
or
other
damage
.

Inspect
flexible
hoses
for
cracking
.
Replace
faulty
hoses
or
lines
as
described
in
340Brakes
.

WARNING
-

Incorrect
installation
or
overtightening
hoses,
fines,

and
unions
may
cause
chafing
or
leakage
.
This
can
lead
to
partíal
or
completebrake
system
failure
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
1
7

B323

Fig
.
24
.
Disc
brake
pad
wear
can
checked
through
opening
in
caliper
.

The
brake
caliper
should
be
unbolted
from
the
suspension

strut
to
properly
inspect
the
brake
pads
and
the
rotors
.
See
Fig
.

25
.
Brake
caliper
removal
and
installation
procedures
are
given
in
340
Brakes
.
BMW
recommends
checking
the
front
and
rear
alignment

once
a
year
and
whenever
new
tires
are
installed
.
See320

Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment
for
a
more
detailed
discus-

sion
of
alignment
requirements
and
specifications
.

Brake
Pad
Lining
Minimum
Thickness

(Dimension
A)

Brake
system,
inspecting



"
Front
and
reardisc
brake
pads
....
3
.0
mm
(0
.12
in)

Brake
fluid,
replacing

BMW
strictly
recommends
replacing
the
brake
fluid
every
two
years
.
This
will
help
protect
against
corrosion
and
the
ef-

fects
of
moisture
in
the
(luid
.
See340
Brakes
for
brake
fluid

flushing
procedures
.

Parking
brake,
checking

The
parking
brakesystem
is
independent
of
the
main
braking

system
and
may
requireperiodic
adjustment
dependingon
use
.
Adjust
the
parking
brake
if
the
brake
lever
can
be
pulled
up

more
than
8
clicks
.
Check
that
the
cable
moves
freely
.
A
de-

scription
of
the
parking
brake
and
parking
brake
adjustment

can
be
found
in
340Brakes
.

UNDER-CARMAINTENANCE

300-2



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Steering

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

The
steering
linkage
connects
the
rack-and-pinion
unit
through
tie
rodsto
the
steering
arms
.
The
tie
rod
ends
allow
the
wheels
to
pivot
and
react
to
suspension
travel
.

Rear
Suspension

The
rear
axle
carrier
is
the
main
mounting
point
for
the
final

drive
housing
and
the
rear
suspension
components
.

Trailing
arms
locatethe
rear
wheels
and
anchorthe
springs,

shocks
and
stabilizer
bar
.
Driveaxies
with
constant-velocity

(CV)
joints
at
both
ends
transfer
power
from
the
differential
to

the
road
wheels
.
The
differential
is
mounted
to
the
rearaxle

carrier
through
rubber
mountsand
bushings
to
hele
isolate

drivetrain
noise
and
vibration
.

Brakes

E36
cars
areequipped
with
power
disc
brakes
with
an
inte-
gral
antilock
brakes
(ABS)
.
The
parking
brake
is
a
dual-drum

system
integrated
with
the
rear
brake
rotors
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

Power
assist
is
provided
by
a
vacuum
booster
when
the
en-

gine
is
running
.
The
brakepedal
pushrod
is
connected
directly

to
the
master
cylinder,
so
failure
of
the
vacuum
booster
does

not
normally
result
in
total
brake
failure
.

0012124



Each
disc
brakeuses
a
caliper
with
a
single
hydraulic
cylin-
Fig
.
2
.



Front
suspension
control
arm
(arrow)
.



der
.
Brake
pads
in
the
left
front
and
right
rear
contain
wear

sensors
.
When
the
padsneed
replacement,the
sensors
illu-
The
front
suspension
is
designed
with
minimum
positive



minate
a
light
on
the
dashboard
.
steering
offset
.
This
geometry
contributes
to
stability
when

traction
is
unequalfrom
side
to
side
.
Suspension
travel
is
lim-



Tires
and
Wheels
ited
by
rubber
bump
stops
.

The
three
point
mounting
of
each
L-shaped
control
arm
ere-



Tiresize
is
critica¡
to
the
proper
operatíon
of
the
E36
ABS
or

cisely
controls
the
front-to-rear
and
side-to-side
position
of
the



ABS/AST
system
.
Severa¡
different
styles
of
wheels,
in
15,16

strut,
while
the
flexibility
of
the
joints
and
mounts
alsoallows



and
17
inch
diameters,
are
available
from
an
authorized
BMW

the
movement
necessary
for
suspension
travel
.
The
control



dealer
.

arm
mounting
points
are
designed
with
anti-dive
geometry
.

The
suspension
reduces
the
normaltendency
for
the
front
of



NOTE-
the
vehicle
to
dive
under
hard
braking
.



Aftermarket
wheelsshould
be
selected
wlth
care
.
Im-
properly
fitted
wheels
can
contact
anddamage
sus

Control
arm
position
is
fixed,
with
no
adjustment
provisions



pension,
brakeorbodycomponentsandmayadversely

on
the
control
arms
for
alter¡ng
front
wheel
al
ignment
.
A
stabi-



affect
vehicle
stability
.

lizer
bar
mounted
to
both
control
arms
heles
to
reduce
body
rol¡
whencomering
.



INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)
is
standard
on
all
E36
cars
.

The
variable-assist
power
steering
system
consists
of
an



Standard
on
some
models
and
installed
as
optional
equipment
on

engine-driven
hydraulic
pump,
a
rack-and-pinion
type
steer-



others,
is
All
Season
Traction
(AST)
.

ing
gear,
and
connecting
linkage
to
the
road
wheels
.
TheE36
utilizes
an
engine-speed
dependent
variable
effort
steering



Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)

system
.
At
low
speeds,
maximum
power
assist
is
provided
to
ease
parking
and
city
driving
.
Athigh
speeds,
assist
is
re-



The
electronically-controlled
ABS
maintains
vehícle
stabili
duced
to
ensure
stability
.



ty
and
control
during
emergency
braking
by
preventing
wheel
lock-up
.
ABS
provides
optimum
deceleration
and
stability
dur-

NOTE-

The
traction
control
system
referred
to
as
AST
(all
sea-
son
traction)
may
also
be
referred
to
as
ASC
(Automat-
ic
Stability
Control)
and
ASC+T
(Automatic
Stability
Control+Traction)
.

The
AST
system
improves
traction
by
electronically
apply-

ing
the
rear
brakes
when
therear
drive
wheels
are
spinning
at

a
faster
rate
than
the
front
wheels
.
The
combined
ABS/AST

control
module,
operating
through
the
ABS
hydraulic
control

unit,
modulates
braking
force
at
therear
wheels
.

In
addition,
AST
uses
retarded
ignition
timing
and
an
auxil-iary
engine
throttle
plate
to
reduceengine
torque
and
maintain

vehicle
stability
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
held
open
by
spring
pressure
.

The
AST
system
actívates
the
auxiliary
throttie
position
motor

(ADS)
to
cose
the
AST
throttle
as
needed
.
This
reduces
the

volume
of
engine
intake
air
.
Due
to
the
throttle
closing
very
rapidly
during
AST
operationthe
driver
cannot
increase
theengine
power
output
regardless
of
how
far
theaccelerator
pedal
is
pushed
to
the
floor
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
placed
ahead
of
the
conven-

tional
throttle
plate
in
the
throttle
body
.

Traction
control
also
comes
into
operationduringdecelera-
tion
.
Decelerating
on
snowy
or
icy
road
surfaces
can
lead
to
rear
wheel
slip
.
If
a
rear
wheel
startsto
drag
or
lock
up
when

the
throttle
is
closed
rapidly
orduringdownshifting,the
AST
system
can
limit
the
problem
by
advancing
the
ignition
timing
.

A
switch
on
the
center
console
is
used
to
togglethe
AST
on

or
off
.

The
AST
system
is
designed
to
be
maintenance
free
.
There

are
no
adjustments
that
can
be
made
.
Repair
and
trouble-
shooting
of
the
AST
system
requires
special
test
equipment

andknowledgeand
should
be
performed
only
by
an
autho-

rized
BMW
dealer
.
Table
a
lists
theconditions
indicated
by

the
AST
indicator
light
in
the
instrument
cluster

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-5

Tablea
.
AST
Indicator
Lamp
Function

Indicator
lamp



1
Condition



1
Comment

Light
on



Normal
AST
start-



Automatic
AST
up



self-test

Light
off



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
mode



eration

Press
AST
button,



AST
off
(disabled)



Rocking
the
car
tolight
comes
on



getout
of
snow
or
other
loose
surface
Driving
with
snow
chains

Press
AST
button
:



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
light
goes
out



I
mode



eration

Light
flashes



AST
active
mode



I
Normal
AST
oper-
ation
as
it
controls
wheel
speed

Light
stays
on
af-



Defect
in
AST



Consult
BMW
ter
start
up
or



dealer
for
diagno-
comes
on
while



sis/repair
driving



(Vehicle
operation
remains
normal)

WARNING
-

Even
a
car
with
AST
is
subject
to
the
normal
physi-
cal
laws
.
Avoid
excessive
speeds
for
the
road
con-
ditions
encountered
.

CAUTION-
"
If
the
tires
on
the
carare
of
different
makes,
the
AST
system
may
over-react
.
Only
fit
tires
of
the
same
make
and
tread
pattem,

"In
adverse
conditions,
such
as
trying
to
rock
the
car
outof
deep
snow
or
another
soft
surface,
or
when
snow
chainsare
fitted,
it
is
advisable
to
switch
off
AST
and
allow
the
cars
driveline
to
op-
erate
conventionally
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

320-
6



STEERING
AND
WHEEL
ALIGNMENT

Front
Toe-in
andToe
Difference
Angle



Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

Toe-in
is
the
difference
in
the
distance
between
the
front
of



Alignment
specificationsfor
the
E36
are
listed
in
Table
a

the
front
wheels
and
the
rear
of
the
front
wheels
.
It
is
adjusted



and
Table
b
.
The
specifications
only
apply
under
the
following

by
altering
the
length
of
the
outer
tie
rods
.



conditions
:

Toe-in
adjustments
should
only
be
made
on
alignment
equipment
with
the
car
in
normalloaded
position
as
described

below
under
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications
.

Toe
difference
angledetermines
the
progressively
different

pathstaken
by
the
front
wheelsas
the
car
is
turning
.
It
is
fixed
by
the
steering
gear,
but
depends
on
accurate
setting
of
the
toe-in
.

Rear
Toe-in

There
is
no
provision
for
routinerear
wheel
toe-in
adjust-

ment
.
If
any
alignment
angles
deviate
from
specifications,
carefully
inspect
the
rear
trailing
arms,
rear
suspension
sub-
frame
and
al¡
associated
bushings
and
flexible
mounts
for
wear
or
damage
.
After
replacing
any
parts
that
appear
worn
or
damaged,
re-check
thetoe
measurements
.

WHEEL
ALIGNMENT

Table
a
.
Front
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

"
Correct
wheels
and
tires
are
installed,
in
good
condition,
and
are
at
the
correct
inflation
pressures
.

"
Al¡
steering
and
suspension
parts
and
bushings
areun-

damaged
and
show
no
signs
of
abnormal
wear
.

"
Wheel
bearings
are
in
good
condition
.

"
Ride
height
is
in
accordance
with
specifications
.

See
310
Front
Suspension
and330
Rear
suspension
.

"
Car
isin
normal
loaded
position
.

Normal
loaded
position

"
Each
front
seat
.....:.............
68
Kg
(150
lb)

"
Rear
seat
(center)
................
68
Kg
(150
lb)

"
Trunk
.
.
.
..
.......................
21
Kg
(46
lb)

"
Fueltank
.
........................
...
.
..
..
full

3181325
Model



3181325



sport



M3
3
.0
liter



M3
3
.2
liter
suspension

Toe
angle
(total)



0°
18'±8'



0°
18'±8'



0°
10'
±5'



0°
10't5'

Camber

To
1995



-0°
40'±30'



-0°
58'±
30'



-0°55'±30'



-

1995
on



-0°
30'
±30'



-0°
51'±30'



-0°55'±30'



-0°
46'±30'

Caster

10°
wheel
lock



3°
41'±30'



3°
50'±30'



6°
38'±30'



9°
35'±30'

20°
wheel
lock



3°
52'±30'



3°
57'
t30'



6°
52'±30'



7°
50'±30'

Front
Wheel
Displacement



0°
t15'



0°t15'



0°
±15



0°
±15'

Table
b
.
Rear
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

3181325
Model



3181325



sport



M3
3
.0
liter



M3
3
.2
liter
suspension

Toe
angle
(total)



0°
24't6'



0°
24'±6'



0'30'
.-t6'



0°
30't6'

Camber



-l'
40'
t15'



-2°
0'
t15'



-1
°
45'
t10'



-1'45'±10'

Maximum
allowabledeviation
between
sides



0°
±3'



0°
±3'



0°
t3'



0°
t3'